Southwest starts using AirTran network for cargo

Friday, April 19, 2013

Southwest Cargo has begun shipping cargo on AirTran Airways, opening up more destinations on Southwest’s freight network and introducing new cargo service to Charlotte, Rochester and Richmond.
Starting May 1, Southwest will begin cargo service to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
According to officials, connecting the Southwest and AirTran cargo networks means that customers in Atlanta will now see 90 new cargo flights. New services will be offered in other major Southwest markets as well.
The full integration of Southwest and AirTran, which Southwest purchased on May 2, 2011, is expected to be completed in 2015. In February, Southwest officials announced that they had begun connecting the two carriers’ networks, which had been outlined as a priority in 2013.
“Connecting the Southwest and AirTran Networks opens up a number of opportunities for our cargo service to grow, offering new flights and significant increased capacity for our Cargo Customers,” Southwest’s Matt Buckley said in a statement.
Last year, Southwest’s cargo revenue stood at $160 million, a 15.1-percent, year-over-year increase.
Southwest will release its first-quarter results on April 25. - Jon Ross